Blog
Superstorm Sandy Shut Down Your Business? Have no Fear, NYCSCC is Here!
November 13, 2012 | Eric ShapiroFor many, Hurricane Sandy was more than just an inconvenience. Survey the wreckage of seaside communities such as Long Beach, the Jersey Shore, and Fire Island for first-hand evidence of the havoc natural disaster can wreak. However, take a closer look and it becomes clear that residential areas were not the only places affected by the storm. In Manhattan, many businesses were put out of action, whether due to flooding, loss of electricity, or an overall sense of panic. In the midst of a recession, any loss of revenue is bound to sting entrepreneurs, non-profits and corporations alike.
Flatiron Hot! Pundit: The Real General Petraeus Sex Scandal
November 12, 2012 | Eric ShapiroLest anyone thought the re-election of Barack Obama – the multiracial president who endorsed gay marriage and mandated contraception coverage – signaled in any way a moderation of America’s puritanical impulse, feast your eyes on the latest Washington spectacle, this time starring General David H. Petraeus.
A Taste of Union Square Green Market via Interview (Video)
November 10, 2012 | Eric ShapiroIt takes more than a couple of storms (even one that goes by the name of “superstorm Sandy”) to keep the Flatiron District/Chelsea out of action. Case in point: Union Square Green Market has set up shop near Madison Square … Read More
The Dilemma of the Brainy Sci-Fi Blockbuster (BSFB) Part 1
November 8, 2012 | Eric ShapiroThe Flatiron Hot! Critic deconstructs the Sci-Fi Blockbusters – Part 1 …
One can select any number of summer blockbusters to support the cliched assertion that Hollywood has lost its magic. Loud, flashy, and utterly bereft of such cinematic staples as storytelling, characterization and directorial vision, the films in question are unashamedly tailored to deliver the biggest possible adrenaline rush to the widest swath of the testosterone-fueled young male demographic.
Election Fever Strikes the Flatiron Neighborhood – A Sampler
November 6, 2012 | Eric ShapiroAll eyes in the Flatiron district and its environs, as well of the New York City Seminar and Conference Center and its patrons, turn to the elections! Pundits and experts on both sides of the aisle have weighed in on how “superstorm” Sandy would affect voter turnout in regions most directly impacted by the devastation. Many have speculated that exhaustion and/or logistical issues at the polls would prevent citizens from casting their ballots, likely to the detriment of President Barack Obama, who faces the prospect of losing the popular vote even if the swing states deliver him a narrow Electoral College victory.
Help for Storm Afflicted Flatiron Area Businesses – From the Flatiron 23rd Street Parnership Offices …
October 31, 2012 | Eric ShapiroEditor’s Note: Our Friends at the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership BID sent an e-mail around with this useful info for area businesses coping with the aftermath of the storm, which has impacted all of us in the neighborhood – we are passing it on forth with …
Buckyball Makes Its Presence Felt in Flatiron – Villareal’s Light Sculpture a Sight to See at Madison Square Park
October 26, 2012 | Eric ShapiroNo, it’s not an updated version of the Unisphere from Flushing Meadows Park come to the Flatiron District – its Buckyball! Our friends at the Madison Square Park Conservancy have done themselves proud once again. Their latest effort, and part … Read More
Philips Sonicare Digs a Good Sandbox Near Madison Square Park
October 25, 2012 | Eric ShapiroIt’s not easy to catch New Yorkers off guard. Walk down the street and prepare to be accosted by promoters dressed as foodstuffs, cellphones, or whatever odd item they’re trying to sell. Take a ride on the subway, and be regaled by impromptu performers as diverse in musical form as in talent. Deposit your empty coffee cup in a garbage can and jump back as an over-excited resident squirrel launches itself into the stratosphere.
William Galston and Nick Eberstadt Debate Entitlements at New School’s John Tishman Auditorium
October 23, 2012 | Eric Shapiro
Nicholas Eberstadt and William Galston
debate Entitlements at the New School in NYC
On Thursday, October 19th, esteemed scholars William Galston and Nick Eberstadt met at the New School’s John Tishman Auditorium to discuss entitlements, an issue that lies at the center of an American ideological battle that has raged for decades. Although billed as a “debate,” anyone who was expecting an event resembling Tuesday’s Obama-Romney brawl at Hofstra University probably left feeling disappointed. Instead, the two scholars confronted the audience with two drastically different perspectives on what has, over the course of the 20th century, come to define U.S. politics, particularly since the economy tanked in 2008.
Flatiron Business Community Converges for Night of Networking at 230 FIFTH
October 19, 2012 | Eric Shapiro
Horns blaring. Taxi drivers spouting off obscenities. Pigeons jostling for crumbs. Streams of frantic pedestrians wordlessly weaving about the busy streets. All of this is enough to confirm some of the worst stereotypes about New York City and its residents. But beneath the noisy tumult of daily life in the bustling metropolis lies a strong sense of community.